KATHMANDU, July 2: At the time when talks have not been held between the government and the agitating parties, Nepal Bar Association, an umbrella organization of legal practitioners, has come forward as a facilitator.
After 36 rounds of talks between the government and United Democratic Madhesi Front (UDMF) failed to yield results, no dialogues have been held between the two sides thereafter.
Although the government had appealed the agitating parties for talks time and again, the UDMF has refused the call saying that the government has not fulfilled its preconditions for talks.
The Federal Alliance has been staging the Kathmandu-centric protest since more than a month demanding to amend the constitution. The UDMF had earlier protested for six months in Tarai/Madhes.
As both the government and the agitating parties are adamant on their stances, NBA is playing a role of facilitator. The organization has formed a nine-member talks facilitation committee under the leadership of former Chairman Shambhu Thapa.
The committee consulted with senior legal practitioners at the first phase and held discussions with leaders of Federal Alliance (FA) yesterday.
According to the Spokesperson of Rastriya Madhesh Samajwadi Party Keshav, they apprised the committee about the reasons for the protest.
During the discussions held at the NBA headquarters, Coordinator of Federal Alliance Upendra Yadav had informed about the reasons for stating the protest, adding that rewriting the constitution was their major demand.
“We have not said that a new constitution should be written,” He said, “It’s only correcting the enforced constitution, and there are no alternatives for rewriting and amending for that.”
Leaders of Federal Alliance told the committee that the government was not serious toward their demands even after holding talks for 36 rounds.
Coordinator of the talks committee, Thapa said that NBA was trying to facilitate the talks between the two sides.
“There would not have been protest if there were no problems,” Thapa said, “More people lost their lives in Madhes revolution that People’s Revolution. There are problems that can be solved through dialogues”
Thapa added that the committee will also discuss with all the political parties representing the Legislature-Parliament. The committee plans to hold a joint talk after holding separate talks with the government, all political parties and the agitating parties.
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